Bobby pin spreader



April 3, 1951 I B. T. CUFF 2,547,814

I BOBBY PIN SPREADER Filed Oct. 25, 1949 116 JO Jig J0 i I! J1 J6 J7 J2 llllllll I N VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 3, 1951 1 V, UNITED STA'I'ES PATENT .0 FFI CE,

BOBBY PIN SPREADER Barbara T. Cuff, Huntington Beach, Calif. Application October 25, 1949, Serial No. 123,509

4 Claims.

This inventionrelates to hair pins and attachments and devices used in combination therewith, and in particular a corrugated wedge shaped element having a finger receiving ring on one end and adapted to be used for spreading bobby pins with the wells and crests or high points of the corrugations positioned to engage the inner surfaces of the legs of a bobby pin as the pin is forced over the device for spreading the legs thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a spreader for opening the legs of a bobby pin to facilitate gripping the pin as hair is inserted between the legs thereof.

The legs of a bobby pin are nested together with the inner surface of one leg in engagement with the inner surface of the other and without a prying instrument it is diificult to open or spread the legs when it is desired to place the pin in the hair. The material forming the legs of a bobby pin is comparatively small and, therefore, it is difficult to insert the end of a thumb or finger nail between the legs as is necessary in order to use the pin. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a finger ring having a corrugated or wavy projection extended from one side with a point at the end for positioning between the ends of the legs of a bobby pin and with the width of the corrugations gradually increasing providing a wedge shape wherein as a bobby pin is pressed against the device the legs are spread over the ring.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a bobby pin spreader that may be positioned on a finger of one hand as a bobby pin is forced over a wedge shaped portion thereof by the other hand to open the pin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bobby pin spreader formed with a finger band or ring in which the size of the band or ring may be adjusted to fit fingers of different sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a finger ring bobby pin spreader which is of a simple and economical construction.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an end elevational view of the spreader.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the spreader looking toward the point thereof.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the spreader.

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the general appearance of the spreader.

Figure 5 is an end view similar to that shown in Figure 1 illustrating the position of a bobby pin on the spreader.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the spreader similar to that shown in Figure 3 and also showing a hobby pin on the spreader.

2 Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the bobby pin spreader of this invention includes a cylinder l0 providing a finger ring or band with an extended wedge shaped web having a point or sharp edge H on the outer end, with a shallow corrugation l2 spaced from the point,

an outer corrugation [3 adjacent the corrugation I2, an inner corrugation l4 adjacent the band Ill and an intermediate corrugation I5 between the corrugations l3 and I l. The corrugations are gradually reduced in size from the band to the outer end with high points of the graduation being positioned in converging planes which meet at the point of the web.

The spreader is formed of stainless steel, plastic or any suitable material and with the inner end I6 rolled against the inner surface of the band, as shown in Figure 1 the ring or band portion It may readily be adjusted to fit fingers of different sizes.

With the parts formed in this manner a crest or high point I? is provided on the outer surface of the corrugation l3 and, on the same side of the spreader, a crest I8 is provided on the corrugation I4. On the opposite side of the spreader a crest I9 is formed on the outer surface of the corrugation l2 and a crest 20 is provided on the outer surface of the corrugation l5.

With the parts formed in this manner the point or sharp edge II is inserted between the tips or ends 2| and 22 of the legs 23 and 24 of a bobby pin 25 and as the pin is forced over the spreader the inner surfaces of the legs 23 and 24 contact the crests I9 and 2|] on one side and I1 on the other with the legs passing over the wells or valleys between the crests. The pin may be forced over the spreader to the position shown in Figure 5 or it may be stopped at any suitable point.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A bobby pin spreader comprising a wedge shaped element having transversely disposed corrugations therein with high points of the corrugations in planes converging toward the point of the wedge and with gripping means at the large end thereof.

2. A bobby pin spreader comprising a fiat band having gradually enlarging transverse corrugations therein with the band forming a wedge with a beveled edge on the small end and with finger gripping means on the large end and with the size of the corrugations increasing from the small end of the band to the gripping means on the large end with high points of the graduations 3 positioned in converging planes meeting at the said small end.

3. In a bobby pin spreader, the combination which comprises a split cylinder providing a ring for positioning on a finger, and a projecting web extended from the cylinder and having transversely disposed corrugations therein with the size of the corrugations gradually diminishing from the ring toward the outer end and with the high points of the corrugations positioned in converging planes meeting at the end of the vweb opposite to that on which the cylinder is positioned defining a wedge to receive the legs of a bobby pin.

.- 4.,In;a .b0bby:,vpin-;spreader, the combination 15 hich ompris s....a s t cy in o idin rin ior po it oni on fi s randtapr ie te ing -webueigtended from the cylinder and having transversely disposed corrugations therein with the size of the corrugations gradually diminish ing toward the outer end and with the high points of the corrugations positioned inconverging planes meeting at the endvof the web opposite to that on which the cylinder is positioned defining a wedge to receive the legs of a bobby pin, said split cylinder providing means for ad-- justing the size of the ring.

BARBARA T. CUFF.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED. $TATES PATENTS 

